EA Sports Season Opener 2009

March 20, 2009 - At the recent EA Sports Season Opener event held in San Francisco, the press were shown several sports games that EA has already got cooking for 2009. CheatCC was there and we’ve brought back some information about what everyone can expect from the various titles that were at the show. And… when you’re done reading, don’t forget to check out our Fight Night Round 4 preview!

EA Sports Complex isn't a game per se; it's actually EA's presence in Sony's PlayStation Home. However, that's not to say that games won't be the main focus of this new two-story virtual space. Players can check out screen shots, info, and videos of EA's latest and upcoming games, or even compete in a number of mini-games. The mini-games that should be included from the launch of the EA Sports Complex are poker, a near pin golfing game, and an RC car racing game.

Each of these mini-games looked to be fairly entertaining and all include some sort of level progression/rewards to keep players coming back for more. Some examples of this are the poker game keeping track of your bankroll so that you can buy your way into more expensive tables, and the RC car game allowing players to buy extra boosts with the currency earned from your previous racing victories. Playing these games will also grant you some more tangible rewards such as poker bracelets or different outfits for your avatar to wear.

EA Sports Active

System/s: Wii | Release: May 19, 2009 | Developer: EA Canada

Anyone looking for a workout game for the Wii but can't find, or don't want to purchase, a Wii Balance Board should take note of this title. EA Sports Active is essentially exercise-in-a-box that comes complete with premade workouts, the ability to create custom sessions, and a 30 Day Challenge mode. This mode will track a player's progress, like total time spent working out and how many calories have been burned, over the course of a thirty day time period spent playing the game.

Workouts in the game can also be made to specifically target your cardio, your upper body, or your lower body. Lower body exercises will make use of a leg strap that comes packaged with the game that will house the Nunchuk, allowing the Wii to keep track of your lower body movements. Focusing on the upper body will have players utilizing this game's other pack-in, a resistance band with handles. This band should also help to add an extra level of difficulty for longtime players of the game.